No excited crowds outside assembly as CS reads budget

National Treasury CS Henry Rotich presenting the budget estimation at Parliament on Thursday June 13, 2019. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

The presentation of the Budget in the National Assembly by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary has become a routine 'whole committee' event, robbing it of the glamour that the occasion was associated with during the previous constitutional order.

Unlike in past years when the event attracted the attention of large crowds that would jostle for space outside the precincts of Parliament Buildings hoping to catch a glimpse of proceedings and the President inspecting a guard of honour, it is a lacklustre affair nowadays.

Because Cabinet members are no longer picked from the rank and file of serving legislators, the National Assembly Speaker has to prepare ground for the Treasury boss, who by the description of parliamentary rules is a stranger, to address the House.

Yesterday, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi had to invoke Standing Orders 25 (a) and 244 (c) to allow National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich to present the Sh3.02 trillion budget, and the revenue raising measures for the 2019/2020 financial year.

Mr Muturi had to designate a place, to his right almost behind him, for Mr Rotich to address the House, since the debating chamber is now restricted to sitting members.

Apart from the budget presentation, only once before has Muturi invoked the Standing Order; when he allowed a pupil to stand and present a petition to the House.

When Rotich was ushered in at 3.43pm at the request of the Speaker, the House was already handling its usual business. There was little to show that the budget presentation was to follow since the event is now listed in the Order Paper like any other House business.

Minutes before Rotich walked in, it appeared as though the budget would be presented to a House of only male legislators.

This was after their female counterparts stormed out in jeers, protesting an earlier incident when one of their own was allegedly physically assaulted by a male MP.

With tongue firmly in-cheek, Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang' demanded to know from the Speaker whether the House was 'well constituted' to receive the budget reading since one gender was missing.

But Muturi swiftly served a flippant return volley, ruling that the House was in order because it was the desire of members of the female gender to be out. He would invite laughter when he quoted an old motto of the House, “For the welfare of society and the just government of ….” leading male MPs to shout “men!”

The motto has since been changed to read …"the just governance of the people”.  

Rotich read what was believed to be the shortest budget speech, ending at 5.02pm. There was hardly any excitement in the taxation measures announced except for the time that the minister announced an increase in sin tax, targeting alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.

After reading the budget policy highlights, Rotich submitted to the National Assembly a legislative proposal (Finance Bill 2019), setting out the revenue-raising measures for the national government.

At about 5.05pm, Muturi announced the adjournment of House sittings until Tuesday next week.